Products Home / Optomechanical Components / Optical Rails / Dovetail Optical Rails / Cage System Mounts for Dovetail RailsCage System Mounts for Dovetail Rails
- Mount 16 mm, 30 mm, or 60 mm Cage Systems onto Dovetail Optical Rails
- Optical Axis Height of 30.0 mm (1.18") or 50.0 mm (1.97")
- Cage Plate Adapter or Snap-On Cage Support Options
RCA5
SM05-Threaded
16 mm Cage Plate
RCA7
SM1-Threaded
30 mm Cage Plate
RCA12
60 mm Cage
Snap-On Support
Application Idea
30 mm Cage System Mounted on a
Dovetail Rail Using an RCA8 Support
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| RLA Dovetail Rail Accessories | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Rails | Rail Carriers | Rail Carrier Positioners |
Mounting | Cage Mounting |
Features
- Mount Cage System Segments onto Construction Rails Along a Common Optical Axis
- Available for 16 mm, 30 mm, and 60 mm Cage Systems
- Cage Plate Adapter and Snap-On Options Available
- Cage Plates Feature SM05, SM1, or SM2 Internal Thread
- Snap-On Cage Supports for Quick and Secure Mounting
- Optical Axis Height of 30.0 mm (1.18") or 50.0 mm (1.97") Above Rail Surface
The cage plate and support brackets offered below mount 16 mm, 30 mm, or 60 mm cage systems to our dovetail optical rails. The cage plates and support brackets each align a mounted cage system at a common 30.0 mm (1.18") or 50.0 mm (1.97") optical axis height, measured from the top surface of the rail. The dovetail clamp design allows for easy removal or addition of cage systems segments as required by the application. For additional information on our cage systems, please refer to the Cage Overview tab.
Cage System Overview
The Cage Assembly System provides a convenient way to construct large optomechanical systems with an established line of precision-machined building blocks designed for high flexibility and accurate alignment.
16 mm, 30 mm, and 60 mm Cage System Standards
Thorlabs offers three standards defined by the center-to-center spacing of the cage assembly rods (see image below). The 16 mm cage, 30 mm cage, and 60 mm cage standards are designed to accomodate Ø1/2", Ø1", and Ø2" optics, respectively. Specialized cage plates that allow smaller optics to be directly inserted into our larger cage systems are also available.
Standard Threads
The flexibility of our Cage Assembly System stems from well-defined mounting and thread standards designed to directly interface with a wide range of specialized products. The three most prevalent thread standards are our SM05 Series (0.535"-40 thread), SM1 Series (1.035"-40 thread), and SM2 Series (2.035"-40 thread), all of which were defined to house the industry's most common optic sizes. Essential building blocks, such as our popular lens tubes, directly interface to these standards.
An example of the standard cage plate measurements determining cage system compatibility.
| Standard Cage System Measurements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cage System | 16 mm | 30 mm | 60 mm |
| Thread Series | SM05 | SM1 | SM2 |
| Rod to Rod Spacing | 16 mm (0.63") | 30 mm (1.18") | 60 mm (2.36") |
| Total Length | 25 mm (0.98") | 41 mm (1.60") | 71.1 mm (2.8") |
| Cage Components | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cage Rods | 16 mm | These rods are used to connect cage plates, optic mounts, and other components in the cage system. The SR Series Cage Rods are compatible with our 16 mm cage systems, while the 30 mm and 60 mm cage systems use ER Series Cage Rods. |
| 30 mm | ||
| 60 mm | ||
| Cage Plates | 16 mm | These serve as the basic building blocks for a cage system. They may have SM-threaded central bores, smooth bores sized for industry standard optics or to accommodate the outer profile of our SM Series Lens Tubes, or specialized bores for other components such as our FiberPorts. |
| 30 mm | ||
| 60 mm | ||
| Optic Mounts | 16 mm | Thorlabs offers fixed, kinematic, rotation, and translation mounts specifically designed for our Cage Systems. |
| 30 mm | ||
| 60 mm | ||
| Cage Cubes | 16 mm | These cubes are useful for housing larger optical components, such as prisms or mirrors, or optics that need to sit at an angle to the beam path, such as beamsplitters. Our cage cubes are available empty or with pre-mounted optics. |
| 30 mm | ||
| 60 mm | ||
| Post and Breadboard Mounts and Adapters | Mounting options for cage systems can be found on our Cage System Construction pages. Cage Systems can be mounted either parallel or perpendicular to the table surface. | |
| Size Adapters | Cage System Size Adapters can be used to integrate components from different cage system and threading standards. | |
| Specialized Components | Thorlabs also produces specialized cage components, such as Filter Wheels, a HeNe Laser Mount, and a FiberPort Cage Plate Adapter, allowing a wide range of our products to be integrated into cage-mounted optical systems. Explore our Cage Systems Visual Navigation Guide to see the full range of Thorlabs' cage components. | |
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Adapters Mount Cage Systems at 30 mm Optical Axis Above the Dovetail Optical Rail
- Mount a 16 mm Cage System on a Dovetail Optical Rail
- Optical Axis Height: 30.0 mm (1.18") Above Rail Surface
- RCA5: Cage Plate with Bores for Ø4.0 mm SR Rods
- RCA6: Snap-On Cage Support for Quick and Secure Mounting
- Easily Positioned Along the Rail Prior to Lockdown Using Dovetail Clamp
The RCA5 Cage Plate and RCA6 Mounting Bracket are used to construct a 16 mm Cage System along a Dovetail Optical Rail. The dovetail clamp on the bottom of each mount allows for insertion anywhere along the rail and is secured by tightening a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex clamp locking screw.
The RCA5 adapter integrates an internally SM05 (0.535"-40) threaded cage plate for 16 mm cage systems. Four through holes with 0.05" (1.3 mm) hex locking setscrews accept Ø4.0 mm cage rods (not included). The RCA6 mounting bracket has two flexure clamps that allow segments of a 16 mm cage system to be dropped in and easily secured by tightening two 5/64" (2.0 mm) setscrews. A 16 mm cage system mounted using the RCA5 and RCA6 will have an optical axis height 30.0 mm (1.18") above the top surface of the rail.
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Click to Enlarge 30 mm Cage System Mounted on a Dovetail Optical Rail Using the RCA8 Mounting Bracket
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Adapters Mount Cage Systems at 30 mm or 50 mm Optical Axis Above the Dovetail Optical Rail
- Mount a 30 mm Cage System on a Dovetail Optical Rail
- Optical Axis Height of 30.0 mm (1.18") or 50.0 mm (1.97") Above Rail Surface
- RCA7 and RCA9: Cage Plates with Bores for Ø6.0 mm ER Rods
- RCA8 and RCA10: Snap-On Cage Supports for Quick and Secure Mounting
- Easily Positioned Along the Rail Prior to Lockdown Using Dovetail Clamp
The RCA7 and RCA9 Cage Plates and RCA8 and RCA10 Mounting Brackets are used to construct a 30 mm Cage System along a Dovetail Optical Rail. The dovetail clamp on the bottom of each mount allows for insertion anywhere along the rail and is secured by tightening a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex clamp locking screw.
The RCA7 and RCA9 adapters integrate an internally SM1 (1.035"-40) threaded cage plate for 30 mm cage systems. Four through holes with 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex locking setscrews accept Ø6.0 mm cage rods (not included). The RCA8 and RCA10 mounting brackets have two flexure clamps that allow segments of a 30 mm cage system to be dropped in and easily secured by tightening two 5/64" (2.0 mm) setscrews. A 30 mm cage system will have an optical axis height 30.0 mm (1.18") above the top surface of the rail when mounted using the RCA7 and RCA8 or 50.0 mm (1.97") above the rail when mounted using the RCA9 and RCA10.
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Click to Enlarge 60 mm Cage System Mounted on a Dovetail Optical Rail Using RCA12 Mounting Bracket
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Adapters Mount Cage Systems at 50 mm Optical Axis Above the Dovetail Optical Rail
- Mount a 60 mm Cage System on a Dovetail Optical Rail
- Optical Axis Height: 50.0 mm (1.97") Above Rail Surface
- RCA11: Cage Plate with Bores for Ø6.0 mm ER Rods
- RCA12: Snap-On Cage Support for Quick and Secure Mounting
- Easily Positioned Along the Rail Prior to Lockdown Using Dovetail Clamp
The RCA11 Cage Plate and RCA12 Mounting Bracket are used to construct a 60 mm Cage System along a Dovetail Optical Rail. The dovetail clamp on the bottom of each mount allows for insertion anywhere along the rail and is secured by tightening a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex clamp locking screw.
The RCA11 adapter features an internally SM2 (2.035"-40) threaded cage plate for 60 mm cage systems. Four through holes with 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex locking setscrews accept Ø6.0 mm cage rods (not included). The RCA12 mounting bracket has two flexure clamps that allow segments of a 60 mm cage system to be dropped in and easily secured by tightening two 5/64" (2.0 mm) setscrews. A 60 mm cage system mounted using the RCA11 and RCA12 will have an optical axis height 50.0 mm (1.97") above the top surface of the rail.
 Cage System Mounts for Dovetail Rails |